NASCAR championship battle comes down to season's top tier
It comes down to this — one race for all the marbles. A chance for drivers to add to their legacies or create a new one.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will crown its 2018 champion on Sunday in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC).
Four drivers will race for the title — against each other and a full field of cars. Kyle Busch (Toyota), Kevin Harvick (Ford), Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota) and Joey Logano (Ford) come to Homestead after navigating 26 regular-season races and nine in the playoffs and represent the four best drivers this season.
There are no flukes here, no upsets. These drivers rank as the season’s top four in average finish, laps led and top-five finishes. And they have all been here before. Three of the four have won a title, and the other just missed.
A closer look at NASCAR’s Championship 4:
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NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONS BY YEAR
2017: Martin Truex Jr.
2016: Jimmie Johnson
2015: Kyle Busch
2014: Kevin Harvick
2013: Jimmie Johnson
2012: Brad Keselowski
2011: Tony Stewart
2010: Jimmie Johnson
2009: Jimmie Johnson
2008: Jimmie Johnson
2007: Jimmie Johnson
2006: Jimmie Johnson
2005: Tony Stewart
2004: Kurt Busch
2003: Matt Kenseth
2002: Tony Stewart
2001: Jeff Gordon
2000: Bobby Labonte
1999: Dale Jarrett
1998: Jeff Gordon
1997: Jeff Gordon
1996: Terry Labonte
1995: Jeff Gordon
1994: Dale Earnhardt
1993: Dale Earnhardt
1992: Alan Kulwicki
1991: Dale Earnhardt
1990: Dale Earnhardt
1989: Rusty Wallace
1988: Bill Elliott
1987: Dale Earnhardt
1986: Dale Earnhardt
1985: Darrell Waltrip
1984: Terry Labonte
1983: Bobby Allison
1982: Darrell Waltrip
1981: Darrell Waltrip
1980: Dale Earnhardt
1979: Richard Petty
1978: Cale Yarborough
1977: Cale Yarborough
1976: Cale Yarborough
1975: Richard Petty
1974: Richard Petty
1973: Benny Parsons
1972: Richard Petty
1971: Richard Petty
1970: Bobby Isaac
1969: David Pearson
1968: David Pearson
1967: Richard Petty
1966: David Pearson
1965: Ned Jarrett
1964: Richard Petty
1963: Joe Weatherly
1962: Joe Weatherly
1961: Ned Jarrett
1960: Rex White
1959: Lee Petty
1958: Lee Petty
1957: Buck Baker
1956: Buck Baker
1955: Tim Flock
1954: Lee Petty
1953: Herb Thomas
1952: Tim Flock
1951: Herb Thomas
1950: Bill Rexford
1949: Red Byron